Mortification Illustrated

Exodus Chapters 32 and 33

I try to maintain twin objectives in my day-to-day spiritual life. They run parallel to each other, like train tracks. If one or the other is lacking, bent, or damaged, my spiritual life tends to derail. One track is the daily mortification of sin, and the other is actively pursuing the glory of God in Christ. Seeing and knowing God is the positive and ultimate goal, but killing sin is the necessary and often more tangible exercise I engage in. Killing sin does not equal seeing God, nor does success in battle automatically result in a view of the glory of God. But, failure to mortify sin is certainly an effective preventor of seeing and delighting in God's glory.

Killing sin sometimes means embracing self denial or ceasing to engage in some sinful activity or bad habit. But the deeper and more constant effort of sin killing engages my thoughts, motives and emotions. This kind of mortification is invisible. It happens in my head and heart.

Similarly, beholding the glory of God is also an invisible transaction--pillars of fire and parting of waters are not a part of the glory I behold. Rather, spiritual light, the radiance of God, is apprehended in my heart.

It's tricky to maintain these two important tracks upon which my life rolls toward its ultimate heavenly calling--especially since their condition is invisible and my ability to evaluate their state of repair is often veiled. Yet daily mortification and unceasing orientation Godward is necessary if I'm to stand firm in Christ.

The Old Testament is full of episodes where many of the things which happen inwardly and invisibly now were practiced outwardly and physically then. Circumcision, for example, was a visible physical sign then, whereas true spiritual circumcision is now a circumcision of the heart. Under the new covenant a true Israelite is not one by ethnicity, but only if he is God's inwardly. Idolatry, back then, often involved physical Ashera idols that could be chopped down with an axe, whereas the typical forms of idolatry I contend with now include inward orientations toward greed, pride, and covetousness.

As a help in my inward battle with sin and the pursuit of the glory of God in Christ I have the many Old Testament examples for my consideration and instruction. As I face inner battles it is very helpful to have physical illustrations that help my mind with concrete, imaginable stories. Such is Exodus, chapters thirty-two and thirty-three. They illustrate the mortification of sin and the glory of Christ.

First Corinthians, chapter ten, recounts a few occurrences of Israel's wandering in the wilderness and equates these events with spiritual realities in Christ. Passing under the cloud is likened to our baptism in Christ. Drinking from the rock is like our drinking living water from Christ. Verses six and eleven explicitly say that these occurrences that happened in the desert are for examples and for our instruction. This is a massive statement. Especially considering that the primary example in view in chapter eleven is Israel's rebellion and subsequent judgment, in which thousands died. Calculating by human lives, this was a very high price to pay to create an example, an illustration, a lesson, for me. But so it is. The great cost of this lesson should cause me to weigh very heavily the reading of Paul's conclusion in versus twelve and fourteen,

"Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry."

What happened in the desert was harsh--not undeserved, but a very costly and painful lesson. The weight of these real, physical, painful occurrences are given to focus my mind on the reality, urgency and weightiness of their point--resist temptation.

Back to Exodus thirty-two and thirty-three, these two adjacent chapters are equally instructional. In chapter thirty-two I see a real-life, physical demonstration of killing sin. In chapter thirty-three I see a real-life, physical demonstration of eyes laying hold of the glory of God. The one prepares the stage for the other.

The reason these stories are so helpful is that they help to make metaphors more real. For example, Jesus uses metaphors like cutting out eyes or chopping off hands. He uses such language to emphasize the urgency of fighting sin--and I must hear and heed these extreme words. But they are metaphors. Jesus doesn't intend that I literally employ such ineffective strategies–but rather to accept the urgency of not tolerating sin or else I may end up in hell. The real battleground and the most effective techniques in battling my sin are spiritual and employed in my mind, my thoughts and my heart. But it is very useful for me to consider the scene described in Exodus thirty-two to give examples to these metaphors.

The Israelites had, in short order (Moses being absent for forty days), turned to idolatry and had begun worshiping a golden calf. Moses did not merely rebuke the people that sinned. He killed them. He ordered that all who were loyal to the Lord strap on swords and kill each one his brother, his neighbor, his friends. Wow. I cannot imagine how they could do that. I imagine it's very hard for a soldier to kill, even when he's killing an enemy, but killing a friend--unimaginable. Yet the Lord is over all and no friendship or family relationship trumps obedience to our maker and so they did it. The passage does not go into gory details but it is not hard to imagine the terrible scene of these faithful men, swords in hand, striking down those they had known all their lives. They struck at the ones with whom they had been enslaved in Egypt, the ones who celebrated with them at the sea, and with those who stood in awe with them at Mt. Sinai. They killed the ones they walked with, the ones they talked to every day. They attacked their fellow desert sojourners, cutting them to pieces with the sword.

This chapter is instructive for me because such is the killing of my own sins–my dear friends, my comforters, the ones I have been familiar with all my days. These close sins have entertained me and pretended to care for me. My familiar friends need the sword. Any so called friend that would encourage me to turn to idols rather than seek the living God is no true friend. Though I am familiar with my sins and though they are tightly integrated into my life--I must be as ruthless toward them as those Israelites who obeyed Moses, picking up their swords and swinging without mercy at their close, intimate and idolatrous friends. It is hard to put sin to death. But fixing the story of Exodus thirty-two in my mind--being instructed by it--I know I must take up the sword and kill my sin with no less vigor and alacrity.

But what of chapter thirty-three? Moses did a hard thing by taking up the sword against idolatry--he purged the sin from the midst of the camp. It is not surprising that having gone to war against sin, the very next chapter describes his seeing God's glory. Chapter thirty-three is as instructive is chapter thirty-two. Whereas chapter thirty-two instructs as to the mortification of sin, chapter thirty-three instructs as to the ultimate objective of sin killing–seeing and beholding the light of the glory of the only God.

What did Moses want most?

"Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight."

and

"I pray You, show me Your glory!"

And God said yes. He showed Moses His glory. He passed by before his very eyes.

There is no greater thing than beholding the goodness and glory of God. This is the final result and purpose for my calling as a Christian--Jesus saved me in order to bring me to God ("For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God..." - 1 Peter 3:18), to see Him and His Father's glory in His eternal kingdom. This is to be my longing and my heart's desire all my days.

Old Testament physical realities often have corresponding New Testament spiritual realities. What was visible in the old covenant is often invisible in the new. Thus a physical blade is replaced by divine weapons against thoughts and pretensions. Thus Moses' actual visible experience of God's glory is replaced with a spiritual apprehension of the glory of God in the face of Christ. And while I do not expect to see His glory with my eyes, while I remain alive, I do expect and desire to apprehend Christ's glory in my heart by the Spirit. Moses' words are instructive for killing sin and instructive for seeing God's glory. And while I do not use metal in my mortifying, yet I do mortify. Neither do I see with my eyes, yet I seek out and long to apprehend spiritually the glory of Christ.

Dear Lord. I pray, show me Your glory. Jesus, keep me longing, waiting, and seeking. Let me not become satisfied with small things when awesome things are promised. Set the eyes of my heart on things above where you are, in your glory. You are my heart’' desire--intensify this desire for you. I need you more and more. Amen.

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